(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to machines and parts comprising the same for use in the inspection and maintenance of bridges and viaducts, including piers thereof, and particularly the underside road surfaces of such bridges and viaducts.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The difficulties encountered by whose who attend to the inspection and maintenance of road and railway bridges are well known by engineers, especially if they have to do with the lower parts of spans and piers and if the latter are very high or in the middle of rivers and rapids.
Attempts have been made in the past to overcome such difficulties by for example, redesigning construction and moving-type equipment, however, such has not proved satisfactory to resolving the various problems existing.
The prior art machines include moving platforms which can be accommodated on a wagon. Such are used for the test and maintenance of bridges and are derived from excavators or cranes. Although such machines are useful, they suffer the disadvantage of being of heavy weight, which adds considerable weight to the whole machine. Apart from this, they require large assembly and moving time, lack safe stabilizing means, which means also tends to cause road damage and furthermore, they are non-fuel efficient. In addition, the axle loads of many such prior art machines exceed those permitted by, for example, the EEC (European Economic Community) and other bodies. Thus, the use of such machines is highly restricted, i.e., to use on superhighways. They therefore cannot be used on secondary and country roads. A further major drawback of the prior art machines is that they do not provide precision movement and control of the inspection components of the machine.